Dynamo-electric clutch.



W. MORRISON.

DYNAMO ELECTRIC CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. I9I6.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

NITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WILLIAM MORRISON, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CLUTCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MORRISON, a

"citizen of the United States, residing at lChicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dynamo-Electric Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined electromagnetic and friction clutch for automobiles. The'electroniagnetic clutch is preferably of the current self-generating type, having one rotor connected to the engine shaft and the other to the power shaft, and is fully described in my prior Patents Nos. 1,126,060 and 1,126,061, dated January 26, 1915. The friction clutch portion of the invention is of the centrifugal type, the two clutches ,bef ing so constructed and arranged that the en* 'gine power is transmitted from the enginel shaft to the driven shaft through the electromagnetic .clutch and the ,centrifugal clutch, the latter assisting in transmitting the. power, or itself serving as a completely l effective clutch between the two rotatable Y The invention will be fully understood members.

accompanying rawings, 1n

i F2 (Fig. 4). The driven or power shaft B carries the other rotor member of the dynamo, either the armature F (Fig. 2) or the field magnet D2 (Fig. 4). The armature in the form shown in Fig. 2 has a commutator ring L', to which the electrical connections are made in the usual way. Bearing against this commutator ring are brushes R',

against which press springs S. In Fig. 4, the correspondlng parts are marked with corresponding letters of reference, and the construction will be readily understood Without further description. The connections between the field coils and brushes are not illustrated, as they are fully shown in Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

my prior patents aforesaid. When an eX- ternal circuit, such as a storage-battery is used, the dynamo is, preferably, arranged as a shunt-Wound machine.

The shaft B has secured thereto a ring 30, to Which is pivoted a number of arms 31, carrying at their outer ends adjustable weights or friction pieces Springs 33, which may be adjustable, between the arms 31 and the ring 30, press the weights 32 against the casing, or the arms may be of spring metal and arranged to hold the weights 32 in con tact with the casing. My device is applied to an automobile equipped in the usual way, power being delivered to the driving axle through a suitable transmission-gear 80, the gears being shifted by the lever 203. The speed of the engine is varied or controlled by the throttle 201.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows Assuming the engine to. be in operation, the power of the engine will be transmitted through the electromagneticv clutch to the power shaft B, and the latter will be rotated` at a speed differing from that of the engine shaft by the amount of slip between the two rotors of this clutch. The centrifugal weights will also bear against the inner surface of the casing, with a pressure correspondin to the speed of rotation of the power s aft thereby providing a sliding, frictional engagement or clutch between the engine-shaft and power shaft.

As the speed increases, the clutching effect of the centrifugal clutch becomes 'greaterand greater, and may, if desired, be made sufficient to, in effect, frictionally clutch together the two rotors, so that there may be little or no slip between the engine shaft actuatedmember connected to rotate with the other rotor of the dynamo-electric clutch, and means for resiliently holding the centrifugally actuated member against the friction member.

2. The combination with a variable speed engine, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven load-shaft, and a dynamo-electric clutch having revoluble field and armature elements and currentcollecting devices, one rotor being connected to the driving shaft and one to the driven shaft,-of a centrifu gal clutch consisting of a friction member and a second centrifugally-actuated member arranged for engagement with the friction member, the friction member being connected to rotate with one of said shafts and the centrifugally actuated member connected to rotate with the other shaft, and means for resiliently holding the centrifugally actuated member against the friction member. v

3. The combination with a variable speed engine, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven load shaft, and a dynamo electric clutch having revoluble field and armature elements and current collecting devices, one rotor being connected to 'the drivingl shaft and one to the driven shaft,-of a centrifugal clutch consisting of a friction member connected to rotate with the driving shaft and a second centrifugally-actuated member connected to rotate with the driven loadshaft and arranged for engagement with the friction member, and means for resiliently holding the centrifugally actuated member against the friction memberc 4. A clutching mechanism comprising an electromagnetic clutch having two rotor elements in combination with a centrifugal clutch consisting of a friction member and a second centrifugally-actuated member arranged for engagement with the friction member, the friction member connected with one rotor of the electromagnetic clutch and the centrifugallyactuated member connected to rotate with the other rotor of the electromagnetic clutch, and means for resiliently holding the centrifugally-actuated member against the friction member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MORRISON. Witnesses:

WARD S. PERRY, i DAVID P. PERRY. 

